Seams
by Thats My Name
Summary: :Everything is falling apart at the seams, and she doesn't think she can hold them together this time.: Artemis retired for Wally, but she doesn't think she can take being away from life as a hero. Spitfire and Traught if you squint. I Disclaim


_I am seriously questioning my identity as a shipper. I have always supported the cannon pairings because its alot less painful, but lately I've been so obsessed with traught that I don't know what to do._

_Personally, I blame the hiatus._

_So this was written to try and sort out my feelings as a former spitfire supporter. I'm posting it on a whim because I'm not sure if I like it or not. I'm way to in love with my fandoms._

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Artemis isn't surprised when Wally asks her to retire with him. She's seen his indecision in his long silences that seem to fill their time together and she's started to notice how panicked he gets when she goes on missions without him. It was really only a matter of time, because it was obvious he didn't _want_ this anymore.

Her initial reaction is no. A plain, flat-out refusal that darkens his expression and pulls out a biting 'I thought you cared more than that' from his lips and a snarky 'If you thought I'd let everyone down, you obviously don't know me like I thought you did' from hers.

They fight and scream and basically rip each other's hearts out with words they don't mean. Wally storms out and runs, leaving his uncle's car in the driveway. Artemis throws her head in her bed pillow and screeches, hating that she does this to him.

But retiring seems a whole lot like giving up.

And giving up isn't something Artemis will stand for.

Wally shows up again the next day with a stiff apology that really doesn't sound sincere and Artemis is fighting tears as she tells him she can't ditch everyone so soon after Tula's death and Nightwing is busy training all the new recruits and she just can't make him do that alone.

He tells her not to worry about them. They're adults now too.

Then he kisses her, and his arms wrap around her waist and she's running her fingers through his hair. She understands why he wants this, she really does, and she just loves him so much. Maybe she can forget her morals and run away with him.

And she does. At least for a little while.

Artemis gets her college applications in the mail just before the deadline, and is surprised she is actually accepted into a few of them. She chooses Stanford (Which was really a reach school for her), and is offered a generous scholarship for archery. Three months later, her green uniform is tucked away in a gym bag and they've moved into a big apartment that's only thirty minutes from the beach.

At first it's fun. She pretends to be Artemis Crock, the domestic student and imagines that she was never Artemis, the archer. She goes to classes and writes her homework on a little whiteboard above her desk. She realizes early on that Wally can't cook worth a damn so that becomes her job as well. Artemis surrounds herself in her false sense of normalcy and loves it because Wally loves it. She's doing it for him.

But one night, she watches the six o'clock news. In Gotham, a bank is being robbed and she should be there, helping. She watches on the edge of her seat for a good ten minutes as they discuss the negotiation methods for the release of the hostages before she just can't take it anymore. She calls Nightwing, and leaves a message on his cell. Her voice shakes through the whole thing as she asks how things are at the cave and if La'Gaan and M'Gann are still going strong. She wonders aloud about how Conner must feel and if Jaime is still acting crazy and if Zatanna loves being part of the Justice League. She asks about Batman and Robin and suggests with a weak laugh that Batgirl might make a good match for him and she just goes on and on.

She misses it all so much.

She misses the nerdy Star Wars movie nights and the failed attempts to make a decent dinner without M'Gann and the indoor camping trips and setting the couch on fire to make s'mores. She misses training and having Robin right beside her and both of them just pushing and pushing each other so they could keep up with all the crazy super humans they spent their time with.

When Nightwing calls with the offer of another mission, she doesn't hesitate to accept. She doesn't even stop to think of Wally because she just doesn't think she can deal with being so idle and useless anymore.

She doesn't know if she wants him anymore.

(Everything is falling apart at the seams, and she doesn't think she can hold them together this time.)

Wally stops talking to her and she walks in on him shouting at Nightwing through the phone (It really wasn't Nightwings fault, this was her decision.) He sleeps on the couch for a week. The night before she leaves he comes into their room and just holds her. Artemis really doesn't know if she's relieved or if she's just making everything harder for both of them.

Artemis goes back and is hugged by M'Gann and Conner and she just can't stop smiling like an idiot. Everything is just coming rushing back to her and she honestly _can't_ remember why she left in the first place.

When she walks onto the bio ship, she's not sure if she ever wants to leave.

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_I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think!_


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